The Emperor Who Was Chapter 83 : Chapter 83

Chapter . 83

“Baron Graf, did you truly turn Jero into a wolf?”

“That is correct.”

“Then why can you not turn into a wolf yourself? Since it is before performing the magic to revive your wife, can you not turn into a wolf before that?”

A crack appeared on the madman's wooden face.

The oath

was the basic binding of Word Soul Magic. This produced the basest effect of Word Soul Magic, which was making one fail to notice what was strange even upon hearing absurd words.

Brainwashing to close one's eyes to the problem of ‘whatever it takes’ itself if one is willing to do whatever it takes. The reason Graf couldn't even think of the simple thought of turning into a wolf himself.

-While hard to produce effects on the good side, it is unexpectedly effective on such bad sides. That is not magic but brainwashing.

One of the reasons my Master hated Word Soul Magic.

“…I will do it. I almost succeeded back then, but that man resisted... But I will definitely succeed.”

“Can you do that? Even if magic succeeded once, is it correct that you achieved it?”

When I asked, the madman's eyes rolled white. Sir Rolf and the Count beca tense, and Michelon's eyes sparkled. Yolande had the sa air as my Master trying to dissuade .

“It is correct that I achieved it…….”

“Is that so? To my eyes, it only looks like you failed to achieve what even Jero achieved. Then, in the end, did you not fail to revive your wife?”

The man seed not to breathe for a mont. As if his body froze on the spot.

The next mont, the man howled like a beast, broke the ropes binding him with brute force, and lunged at . Foaming at the mouth with beast-like strength to tear

to shreds, more wolf-like than Jero when he was a wolf―

“Prince!”

“It is dangerous!”

Sir Rolf blocked my front, and the Count thrust his sword. The ferocious man fell.

“This guy seems more like a wolf than that guy earlier.”

Michelon, who had placed one foot on his back, grinned. Thanks to him, who was faster than the knights' swords, the man wasn't stabbed by a sword.

The man, who hit his forehead on the floor and was bleeding, turned his head to glare at Michelon and bared his teeth.

When I approached, he turned his head again to glare at .

Urgent footsteps running down the corridor were heard from behind the door. The Count cast an anxious glance at the door, but I gave orders regardless.

“Stand him up.”

“Prince!”

“We will tie him up first!”

The Count and Sir Rolf spoke hurriedly, but Michelon had already stood him up with one hand. The Count seed stunned by the strength of the boy.

“Greet Prince Leontes. He is your master.”

Michelon, gripping Harald's nape with one hand and choking him with force, thrust him towards . Sir Rolf glared at such Michelon, but I did not avoid it and faced that face with rolling eyes.

“You will never save your wife.”

“Kuaaaah!”

Harald struggled. Hatred toward

overflowed in those eyes.

“Do you know why you haven't been able to save your wife until now, and won't be able to in the future?”

I asked against that hatred. Foam flowed from the mouth baring teeth at .

Knock, knock, knock.

The person who ran up knocked on the door. The mont the Count flinched, Harald shouted grinding his teeth.

“I have done whatever it takes to save my wife!”

“That is exactly why.”

I answered his scream.

His eyes trembled.

“To save your wife, you cursed Jero.”

He trembled.

“…It is an oath made for my wife... It can never be broken... It must be kept!”

“Even after Jero fled, you chased him. Because of your curse, Jero was practically chased out, couldn't even keep his father's deathbed, and the father died without seeing his missing child again. Also, since you ca here, my estate residents died off. Are their deaths completely unrelated to you? To revive your wife, how many people have you hard? How many more have to die?”

In the silence where only my voice rang clearly, Harald trembled.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Unable even to detect the warning of fate signaling his danger, he opened his mouth as if responding by instinct.

“My wife... I swore to revive my wife...”

“Because your wife wished it? To kill all those people for herself?”

“My wife knows nothing! She just wanted to live!”

He howled. Revealing many things with that anger.

“Do you think you can be happy with your revived wife after doing such things?”

“My wife knows nothing, and she must not! If I... revive my wife... I will only protect her from the side! It is not for

to be happy again! Only if my wife is happy!”

“Even if you kill all those people, as long as your wife is happy?”

“…Otherwise my wife dies! Burned by fire! She died so terribly, and I couldn't save her then, I can't let her die this ti too! I must save her!”

“Is your wife a person who wishes for you to save her no matter how many people you harm?”

His eyes fixed on

boiled.

“…Even if my wife doesn't wish it, I wish it!”

“Then you are not your wife's husband. She is not your wife.”

A very profound silence fell.

“Count, Count, we are in trouble. The Knights of Saint Romola have arrived now, Count, Lord Giuliano!”

Behind the door that wouldn't open due to Yolande's barrier, an urgent voice shouted. Just as the Count ran towards the door―

“Kuaaaaaaak!”

The man struggled. With the most ferocious seizure, exerting superhuman strength not of a human, he pushed away Sir Rolf who blocked him. If not for Michelon, whose strength was even greater, he would have broken free with his own strength and lunged at .

“Not bad?”

But even Michelon couldn't cope with the sudden transformation. The man's body twisted, bones changed, and muscles swelled and shrank. Bones protruded through his skin then bent, a terrible transformation was occurring.

Rather than the transformation itself being terrible, it looked terrible because the transformation couldn't be completed. Just like I saw soday…….

The man was trapped between a human body and the animal he was trying to turn into. Wishing for transformation yet not wishing it, amidst that chaos, raw mana lost its way and was consud. The man's magic was—yes, it was magic, that magic was…….

“Totemus Totemina.”

I whispered. Holding his head being covered with feathers with both hands, towards his eyes being encroached by red.

Infusing my magic so only he could understand and feel it. Guiding the magic I perceived with my power, which even he was unaware of.

-Why are you always interested in lost ancient magic? It is uncertain whether it was fact or legend, and even if it was fact, it cannot be revived now.

-Well, because it is a legend, it is more beautiful.

In the darkness, two fla-like eyes burned red.

***

The most beloved sons of Traneha God, the Knights of Saint Romola stood before the lord's room in Montova Castle.

Also called the Knights of Purity, they wore pure white cloaks over pure white armor. The pure white, further brightened by the silver necklace with the icon of the martyred saint hanging on their chest, was a symbol representing their purity, blessed by Traneha God so that nothing but enemies and their blood could defile it. This was why, even though they rushed covered in dust, as soon as they dismounted, they revealed the majesty of dazzlingly white knights to the people.

Immanuel, the Knight Commander with blond hair and blue eyes, stood silently behind his brothers. He was the strongest knight, and thus humble.

“Does the door not open, brother?”

When brother Raphael, who had grown up together since they were babies abandoned in front of the temple, asked, the steward had a flustered look but soon answered calmly.

However, even without him showing it, they could sense that he actually didn't like being called brother. A brother lacking faith. May the grace of Saint Romola descend upon him.

“Please wait a mont, Knight. I will bring the key.”

For a steward to leave the key behind, it was clearly a ploy to stall for ti.

“But didn't you say the Prince and the Count are inside. If they do not answer brother's call, surely sothing unusual might have happened inside.”

Raphael spoke solemnly, casting a glance at the servant who had arrived before them. Before the steward ca out to greet them and offer beverages, he must have sent the servant to the Count first to announce the arrival of the knights.

Even though there was a delay even if they politely refused and imdiately proceeded with their mission, neither the Count nor the Prince had co out yet.

Locking the door from inside and stalling for ti would only make it more disadvantageous. anwhile, the exorcist priest dispatched from the Great Temple, specializing in mage hunting, would arrive.

“If they do not respond, we have no choice but to wait. How could we commit rudeness to the Prince and the Count?”

“But evil mages might be confining and torturing them inside. Traneha God sent us to help them. Brother serving them should also do what is for them.”

Raphael, who took the lowest range when singing hymns together, taught the foolish brother of the secular world with a gentle voice.

“But―”

“We must confirm if anything happened to them. We will take responsibility, so brother, do not worry and step back.”

Raphael signaled Immanuel with his eyes while speaking.

“What are you doing! You cannot!”

But Immanuel had already drawn his holy sword. When Raphael, who had the largest build, pushed the steward away from the door with a gentle yet firm gesture, Immanuel placed his sword on the door handle. The tip of the sword trembled. Traces of magic, as expected, a barrier.

“O Traneha God, have rcy on the sons of Saint Romola.”

Immanuel kissed the image of Saint Romola hanging on his chest with a silver chain.

The Knight Commander, who prayed reverently, struck the door handle with his holy sword. The iron handle shattered into pieces and fell, and with a single blow, the barrier was broken. The door swung open.

“What is this behavior!”

The steward shouted, but the Knights of Purity were already rushing past him inside like a tide. Like knights who pass through the castle gate first risking ambush in a siege―

“Good boy. How obedient you are.”

At that mont, a clear and deep voice stopped them.

Tapestries depicting battles hung on all sides, and weapons with evident traces of battle, dented and broken here and there, from old tis to present, lined up; the room of the Lord of Montova.

The blond man standing closest to them was Count Giuliano della Montova.

-The Count who disobeyed the Empress's order to open a gambling den in Montova and was abandoned by his wife's family as soon as his wife died.

The brother who provided information about the Second Prince said.

The tall man with a blunt face standing next to the Count as if trying to block them together was clearly Sir Rolf.

-It is said he did it because he adored Cecile Lauderdale, but he might have been the first to pledge loyalty to the Second Prince out of desire to be the head of a snake rather than the tail of a dragon. Courtiers evaluate him as a person difficult to approach because he speaks too little. The nickna Cerberus of the Second Prince alone is telling enough.

Next to them, the red-haired mage was Yolande, and the mage with a deford face was Vincent. He didn't like that both were not wearing masks.

The young girl behind Vincent was the daughter of the Prince's nanny, nad Nanette.

-She is bright, and judging only by potential, she has the possibility of becoming a genius like Saint Hildegarde. However, just looking at her face, it is clear she is the mage Yolande's sister. But would Yolande also be the daughter of the Prince's nanny? Yolande might have cast Charm Magic on the Prince in advance and made him save her lost sister. It ans we cannot rule out the possibility that the Prince is still under Charm Magic.